Abstract:
Consumer behavior has changed from daily shopping at fresh markets, food stalls, and retail shops to modern retail stores such as department stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets, etc. With the expansion of transportation networks and housing into suburbs, the number of shopping centers in suburban areas is often less than demand. Such a gap in the market has led to groups of stores forming whats known as a community mall, which is still a new concept in Thailand. The aims of the current study were to investigate consumer behavior and influences affecting the choice to shop at community malls, in particular the Pure Place community malls by the Pure Sammakorn Development Co., Ltd. According to the findings of the research, two main factors influencing consumers choice of mall are 1) physical location and 2) consumer behavior. The community malls most often chosen are located in consumers neighborhood with easy access and within 3 kilometers of their home, or less than a 10-minute drive. In addition, the community malls most preferred have ample parking. Furthermore, community malls have various kinds of stores to satisfy the needs of consumers including supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, and cafés. In terms of consumer behavior, those with medium to high incomes who live in single family homes in real estate development projects tend to visit community malls with their families. It can be seen that consumers usually visited community malls with clear and specific purposes, for instance, shopping for household goods, and dining. Therefore, the concern is that there be shops offering consumer products, food and drink to suit everyday needs. Also, having an excessively large number of shops is not the main issue for consumers. Products in supermarkets and various types of food shops are priced to appeal to different levels of consumer income. Finally, besides the two main businesses mentioned, the other important service provided in community malls is banking, usually with small branches to serve the needs of consumers for simple financial transactions.